Nokia 8 to run eight-core Snapdragon 660 and come with IP68 certification, suggest leaks

Nokia 8 will be unveiled alongside new Nokia 7

Details about the long-awaited new Nokia 8 have been leaked online, suggesting that the device will be more of a mid-range device than the high-end smartphone that has been widely expected.

And the new Nokia 8 will be released at the same time as the Nokia 7.

This latest leak comes from NokiaPowerUser, which suggests that HMD Global, the company designing and releasing the Nokia branded devices, is gearing up to launch two high-end Android-powered "mid-rangers", if that's not a contradiction in terms.

While earlier leaks had pointed to the Nokia 8 bearing Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 835 system-on-a-chip, this report suggests that both smartphones will pack Qualcomm's as-yet-unannounced Snapdragon 660 ARM-based microprocessor. According to leaks, this chip will pack eight cores, four of which run at 2.2 GHz while the rest run at 1.9 GHz.

Both smartphones will also, according to NokiaPowerUser, feature a "new metallic body design", which will offer thinner bezels than those seen on the Nokia 6, and a unibody frame. The camera design will be different, too, with the Nokia 8 potentially set to pack Carl Zeiss optics.

If the report's sources are accurate, we can also expect the two smartphones to come with Full HD and QHD displays, respectively, built-in fingerprint scanners and Fast Charging support.

The leak doesn't say when the Nokia 7 and Nokia 8 will be released, but a report last week pointed to an official unveiling in June. The same report also claimed that the Nokia 8 will include Galaxy S7-style IP68 certification and support for Google's Daydream virtual reality platform.

If the launch of the Nokia 3, 5 and 6 at MWC is anything to go by, we can also expect the Nokia 8 to offer a vanilla Android experience. If so, this means users can expect prompt monthly security updates, quick upgrades to new versions of Android, and Google's AI Assistant baked-in - just like the LG G6 and the newly-announced Moto G5 and G5 Plus.

In terms of pricing, last week's report pointed to a "smaller" variant of the Nokia 8 going for £475. The more highly specified Nokia 8 is expected to go on sale for around £535.